Business Advice
by Figurine889
Summary: 1989: Shawn and Gus decide to start up a lemonade stand to raise money. Henry isn't so happy with their business plan...


**Business Advice**

_I'm a huge Psych fan, and wanted so much to right a fanfic of the show, but alas, I can't do mysteries. Not for lack of trying, mind you. So here you go: my way of writting a fanfic without having all the murder. This was really something that was just stuck in my head, and I had to write it out. It's something I could totally see young Shawn and Gus doing. _

_I have no plans of doing a continuation with this one, like stretch it into a present-day thing like the show. This is a one shot thing._

_I don't own Psych (or the beautiful actors that play Shawn and Gus on tv...*sniff*). _

_Enjoy! Please read and review!! _

**1989**

"Shawn, what do you think you're doing?" Henry Spencer looked down sternly at his son. What he had been doing in fact looked innocent enough, but nothing with Shawn was compleately so.

"A lemonade stand Dad," he answered as if it were obvious.

Henry sighed. Of course he was. The little stand was set up stratigically by the beach, yet still on his property so Shawn couldn't get in trouble for soliciting on public property. Gus sat beside him, clutching the bag that Henry could only guess had the money. But it wasn't the location of the stand that had Henry upset. Nor was it the cups that Shawn had obviously swiped from the kitchen. Hell, even the fact that Shawn was using the table he always used for poker when his buddies came over didn't bother him. What trulely bothered him was the price.

"Ten dollars for a cup of lemonade?" Henry asked, picking up one of the small cups. He saw Gus give Shawn an uneasy look.

"That's bussiness," Shawn answered simply. He pointed to the cup that was still in Henry's hand. "Are you planning on buying that?"

"You can't charge ten dollars for a little cup of lemonade Shawn."

Gus looked at his partner in crime. "I told you we'd get in trouble!" he hissed.

"I have it all figured out," he replied confidently. "We're doing it to raise money." He wore a smile on his face as if to say that made it all okay.

"Oh? And just what are you raising money for Shawn?" Henry placed the cup back onto the table and folded his arms, ready to hear his son's rediculous answer.

Shawn's eye flited to Gus, who quickly shook his head. "No reason," Shawn dodged as he looked back at his father.

Henry leaned back to better look at the boys. Gus was staring hard at the bag in his hands and Shawn was avoiding eyecontact. "Spill," he ordered.

Shawn sighed, seeing no point in hiding it anymore. "There's these bikes down at Murphy's."

Henry nodded, waiting for more.

"They're the last two," Gus chimed.

"Yeah, so we have to raise money quick." Shawn looked his dad over. "Unless _you'd_ like to lend us the money?"

Henry laughed loudly and shook his head. "Never lend money to family." He looked down at the table. "Just how much have you sold anyway?"

Both Shawn and Gus hung their heads. "Two cups..." they said together.

Henry smirked. "And how many did each of you buy?"

Shawn glanced up before letting his head drop again. "One each."

"So you're in the hole," Henry said, laughing again. "Listen son." He knelt down in front of the table and put his arms up, causing both boys to look up. "Let me tell you something about business."

Shawn glanced at Gus again, who had a worried look on his face. They were in for another one of "Henry Spencer's Life Lessons".

"If you want to sell to people, you have to have a product that is reasonably priced for the quality." He grabbed one of the cups and took a sip. Then he looked back at the boys. "_This_, is not ten dollar lemonade." He reached into his pocket and stuck a quarter on the table. "This is twenty-five cent lemonade."

Shawn looked heartbroken. "How are we supposed to make enough selling it for that price?"

Henry shook his head. "You don't make the price fit you, you make it fit the customer. If you sell well at this price, you can raise it a little to make more." He stood up and polished off the lemonade. He handed the cup to Gus, and picked up his quarter off the table. Shawn put out his hand expectantly and kept it there, even when Henry put the quarter back in his pocket. When Shawn stared at the pocket housing the quarter, Henry smiled.

"I'm choosing to ignore that you stole my poker table and your mother's cups." Then he turned and walked away.

Gus stood up and walked around to the front of the table where their sign was hanging.

"What are you doing?" Shawn asked.

"I'm going to change the sign." He held it up and pointed to the price. "You're dad's right. We can't sell it for this much."

Shawn watched after where his father had left. "Yeah. I guess." With a sigh, he grabbed the marker and handed it to Gus.


End file.
